Life Experiences Add Up

The Promise of Spring

After every brutal winter in Chicago, I ask myself – Why do I live here? Honestly, it is the hope of spring that keeps me going in this godforsaken climate. Each year, when spring arrives, I feel a slight shift in my attitude and in my thinking. Spring is definitely “hopeful” and this tinge of the newness to come shows up in everyone – it is definitely “in the air”. This got me thinking about all the seasons and living in an area where you get to experience all the highs and lows that a climate can bring. I just returned from a glorious week in St. John where the weather is pretty much 83 degrees year round. We took a boat excursion one day and our boat captain hearkened from New England. I asked him about island life in the Caribbean, and he commented that he still missed winter after all these years. I asked him why and he said “Change”. What is it about the Earth’s axis not standing up straight that creates seasons which keep us so in tuned to change?

Each season brings a promise of something new, something different. If we didn’t have change – there would be no butterflies! With change we clear the closet and wipe the slate clean. We begin to see that each season brings a promise of a new life and take a different approach. Change is what helps keep us young, and having four different seasons makes for a calendar in constant seasonal motion.

Spring
Spring occurs midway on the Earth’s journey from winter to summer and from summer to winter. The sun appears to be directly over the Earth’s equator, and the length of days and nights are equal over most of the planet.

Would the appearance of new leaves and fresh grass be so wonderful if they hadn’t been absent? Each and every one of our five senses is in each season, and spring is no different. The sounds of birds chirping in the morning is a welcome one at that. Yards become filled with cardinals and finches. There is a warmth in the air and a fresher smell and feel as spring arrives. Trees and shrubs develop small buds, rose bushes start to sprout and perennials peek out from under the ground. Spring cleaning is such an appropriate phrase – dust off those cobwebs and let the sun shine in! Yard clean up becomes a must as we rake out the old leaves, twigs and ground cover that have been buried under the snow. We burn our prairie grasses, clean out the gutters, and wash the windows – all in anticipation of the summer days to come. Nature’s spring decorations come out as daffodils, forsythia and tulips dot the landscapes. The colorful beauty of spring bulbs and flowering trees and shrubs is a strong reminder of the rebirth of life after a long winter freeze.

Summer
When the North Pole tilts most toward the sun, the Northern Hemisphere experiences summer. This occurs when the Earth is farthest away from the sun, and begins around June 21-22.

The dog days of summer! When they arrive along with the summer heat, us northerners drench in the sun as much as possible. Windows remain open and the screens allow the soft breezes to come in without the accompanying bugs. The sounds of lawn mowers, motorcycles and children fill the air. Kids stay outside later as the longer days linger. We fire up the barbecue, have deck parties, and entertain outside. Restaurants open up their outdoor patios and rooftops. Flip flops, sandals and tank tops are the norm. Outdoor summer outdoor festivals are a weekend occurrence. The food of summer makes my mouth water as it is all fresh and in season. We have fresh produce at the farmers market, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, not to mention grilled steak, burgers, chicken, fish, corn on the cob and watermelon. Lemonade is never more refreshing and ice-cream never more tasty. The smells of food cooking on the grill, the lathering on of sunscreen and the taste of s’ mores readily come to mind. Lakes become filled with boats and canoes, local pools are filled with kids, inner tubes and slides. Life is good in the summer.

Fall
Autumn occurs midway on the Earth’s journey from winter to summer and from summer to winter. Fall occurs when the sun appears to be directly over the Earth’s equator, and the length of days and nights are equal over most of the planet.

When the days begin to shorten and there is a crispness to the air, the best season of all arrives in Chicago. It’s time to bust out the sweaters, boots and scarves. The humidity begins to decrease, the warm fall days become more dry and nights turn cool. Responding to less sunlight, the leaves on the trees lose their green chlorophyll and the fall leaf colors of red, orange and yellow emerge and weave a tapestry of color unmatched in any season. Leaves slowly trickle down to the ground and gather in pools on lawns and streets. Oktoberfest beers emerge, along with pumpkin lattes. Jack-o-lanterns, colorful asters and fall mums brighten up the houses in the neighborhood. The power foods of fall start to emerge; apples, peas, cauliflower, squash, pumpkin and sweet potatoes; never the best as they are in the fall. Fall activities are plentiful; with corn mazes, pumpkin farms, Halloween parties and bonfires to accompany the season.

Winter
In early January each year, Earth reaches its closest distance to sun. At this time, the northern hemisphere experiences winter

Things start to slow down in the winter, and life becomes more about cocooning, more about nesting. In the animal kingdom, it’s time for the long sleep. Clocks change back and the world darkens earlier. Mother Nature is in a hibernation period as the snow flies, the ground hardens and foliage disappears to expose the stark skeleton figures of the trees. People bundle up – scarves, hats, down coats and boots are the standard fare while walking around the city. Soups, stews, and comfort foods show up at mealtime, as do all forms of hot beverages – hot cider, hot chocolate and egg nog lattes. Your breath shows up in the form of a little cloud, as the moisture of your breath condenses as it hits the cold air. Fireplaces are lit and furnaces turn up. The beauty of snow is, for me, unsurpassed, as white transforms the brown of late autumn. Snowflakes fall—so intricate, but delicate enough to settle on your eyelashes. Frost paints its murals on trees and windows. Fog drifts in and out of branches heavy with snow. The world becomes quiet as the snow mutes the noise of traffic. The sky never looks more blue and the world more peaceful than it does in the winter

“In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” —
Albert Camus

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”~William Shakespeare

Of course, after winter, we cycle back to spring and the seasons start all over again. And it is exactly the thought of spring, and the rebirth of life, that gets me through. At some subconscious level, spring signifies moving forward, not remaining stagnant, and pulling away.

Sore Muscles – Now What?

Have a headache, take an asprin. Upset stomach – chew some tums. Dirrahea – down some pepto bismol. There are lots of remedies people resort to. Sore muscles? I’ve come to believe that people think they have to muscle through that pain – it’s a sign of working out hard. NOT. There are treatments and things you can do to help soreness and muscle tightness that, lets face it, as we age, does not go away like it used to. What are some of these treatments?

EPSOM SALTS

Lately I have been reading about the power of Epsom Salts which makes me feel like I knew something that most people didn’t – I’ve been bathing in them for years. Two cups of Epsom salts in each bath – 3 times each week. Wow – that’s a lot of Epsom salts but check out the benefits. Rich in magnesium and sulfates, these crucial ingredients are both readily absorbed through the skin and into the body’s blood stream. Magnesium helps to improve muscle and nerve function, reduce inflammation and improve blood flow and oxygenation throughout the body. Sulfates are necessary building blocks for healthy joints, skin and nervous tissue.

Epsom Salts Bath The use of regular Epsom salt baths has been shown to improve the symptoms of many health conditions including athlete’s foot, gout, toenail fungus, sprains, bruises and muscle soreness. It is also good for anyone dealing with chronic disease or chronic pain to do regular Epsom baths to help detoxify and de-inflame while improving mineral and sulfur balance in the body. In other words, if you are training for a bike ride, a distance run or if you need to rejuveniate after a particularly hard work out – try the “salts”. No more than 10 minutes is needed three times a week to experience the benefits. I frequently hear that people have no “time” for soaking in a bath, but let me tell you, it’s the best remedy to remove stress. I soak in the morning, but could just as easily at night. My daughters gave me a little stand that goes over the tub, and I place my tea on it, along with my ipad where I can check work emails, get my daily news, and read some chapters in my book.

FOAM ROLLERS AND ROLLING BALLS

Foam rolling, known as “Self-Mofascial Release”, applies pressure to specific trigger points on your body which aids in the recovery of muscles and assists in returning them to normal function. Normal function means your muscles are elastic, healthy, and ready for your next workout. Trigger points are knots that form in muscles after exercising. I like to vision my sore muscles as a ‘rubber band ball” that need to be rolled out so they are as smooth as a flattened pizza crust. Warning – this can be a somewhat painful experience, but it really does hurt so good. Once you start rolling and feel the knotted muscles loosening, it’s a pain that you know is good pain – like a rolling pin stretching out a ball of cookie dough. It’s like getting a free massage on a daily basis.

I have a large foam roller, a small tight “Yoga Ball”, a tennis ball and a softball and I rotate using all of them. If you don’t have a foam roller, you can start by using a regular tennis ball and softball that you probably have in the garage. The foam roller covers a larger area on your body and the smaller balls really zero into the tight knots. With a foam roller, you can control how much pressure you apply to the tissues that you’re working on, and you can locate and focus on areas that are problematic. Using the smaller balls for me is sometimes more effective as it works around the problematic area through deep pressure work creating a more intense stretching of the muscles and ligaments around the affected joints.

Foam rolling can easily been incorporated into your day. I generally roll at night when I’m catching up on my DVR list. I always stretch and roll after exercising – always. Rolling can be done in as little as 10 minutes and the benefits will last a lifetime when done on a regular basis. If you commit to soaking in Epsom Salts and foam rolling, you will be surprised at how good you can feel after a rigorous workout.

Travel

We have all heard it – travel is rejuvenating, life changing, eye-opening, exhilarating. Agreed. I am so thankful that traveling was part of my lifestyle growing up. My parents loaded us in the back of the station wagon and proceeded to take us everywhere. We even took a month trip which commenced in our home town in New Jersey, on up to Prince Edward Island, all across Canada, down through the Pacific Northwest, and crossing the Midwest all the way back to our starting point. The stops along the way were wonderful; Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Arcadia National Park, Banff, Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Glacier National Park, The Badlands – too many to mention. In addition to this memorable trip, we camped every summer and traveled at any given opportunity.

Were my parents wealthy? Not by a long stretch, but we made travel a priority and we managed. Prior to every trip, it was a family affair to save for it. We made piggy banks out of cans and had them scattered around the house and started saving coins – placing a few in the can each and every day – it added up quickly. This gave us a vested interest in the trip. Since we had a limited budget, we stayed in a hotel one night a week, and the rest of the time we camped. My point being that you can pull off a vacation, or a weekend getaway, or a “stay-cation” with a little ingenuity and an investment of planning time.

The memories I have and the perspective gained from travel are invaluable – these trips helped to make me who I am, of that I am certain. Camping travel trips is where I learned my love of astronomy and of nature – staring up at the stars, learning where the big and little dipper are, hiking for miles, making little villages out of rocks in the gravel, cooking over an open fire, and spending hours trying to skip rocks more than three times. Even the endless hours staring out the window heading to our destination was a time for imagination. Travel matters – it takes me outside of my day-to-day routine, and introduces me to something new. This fresh perspective helps me to step back and see the bigger picture.

I grew up thinking vacations were “normal” so when I met my husband to be and we started planning our lives together, I was surprised to hear that his family seldom took family vacations. I nipped that philosophy in the bud from the get go and proceeded to plan and save for the vacations we would take forever; almost immediately. So off we went, traveling when we could. Keep in mind we were not jet setting all across Europe, or climbing the Himalayas, but we found opportunities to travel in the form of weddings to go to, family to visit, and “days attached on” to business trips we took. After our children came along, we kept it up. Driving road trips were plentiful and it did not require a huge budget. My children, as young adults, are very appreciative and grateful for the places they have been to.

If you aren’t sure exactly where to go – take advantage of all the relationships you have in your life that will encourage travel.

A few grounds rules –
If you are invited to a family wedding that requires some travel – GO.
If you are asked to visit someone at their new home – GO.
If you are asked to visit friends who moved away – GO.
If you really want to go somewhere but aren’t sure how to pull it off – invest in the planning time – PLAN!
If your sister moves to Paris for a few years and invites you to come over – GO.
If you can’t swing a long week vacation – break up your paid vacation from work and do little short three-day weekends.

I look back on my life and realize that most of our travel was family/friend related and, most importantly, due to the fact that we did not say “no!” Even if the location is not that glamorous, have google check out all the local attractions either on your way to your destination or while you are there.

The value of vacation days
While it’s no surprise that American workers often don’t take all their vacation days, the U.S. Travel Association found that clocking more hours at the office isn’t likely to pay off. If you need more motivation to cash in those unused days off, consider this: An audit report from Ernst & Young revealed that for every 10 vacation hours an employee takes, performance review scores increase 8 percent. Vacationers, whether it’s local or going away, come back to work recharged. It’s a game changer in perspective – trust me, I know. Vacation has value!

Relieve your stress! Do you feel burned out at your job or just tired of the same grind? Take regular vacations to reduce your burn out level long-term.

Gain Perspective – I find when I am wrestling with a problem or issue, that particular issue becomes more clear while on vacation. Just by removing myself from the situation and taking a step back I have found to be extremely helpful.

Create stronger family connections by taking vacations – Exposing children to different cultures and lifestyles is eye-opening to them, and the memories you generate and talk about over the years creates a strong family bond.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine